Unclaimed Cash For Youth Services

Money from unused bank accounts is to be used by the government to provide a “youth centre in every town”. The scheme is part of the government’s 10-year strategy for young people which is due to be unveiled by Children’s Minister Beverly Hughes.

Ministers hope providing more for young people to do will stop them from behaving anti-socially.

The announcement comes a day after the government promised an extra £1bn for after-school arts and sports clubs.

Schools Secretary Ed Balls said every child should be able to take part in “fun” activities once lessons were over.

But the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) warned that the teenagers most in need of constructive after-school activities risked missing out under the government’s new plan.

It said research showed the most disadvantaged young people were the least likely to take part in activities such as martial arts, drama clubs and sports teams, largely because of local cultural norms and peer influences.

IPPR senior research fellow Julia Margo said: “British teenagers are more likely to get into fights, hang out with other teenagers, binge drink, take drugs and have underage and unprotected sex than teenagers in most other European countries.

“British teenagers spend more time ‘hanging out’ with their mates and less time with adults, while British adults are less likely to intervene to stop teenagers committing vandalism and other anti-social behaviour.

“Successive governments have left British youth to its own devices.

“The worry is that if the government is too touchy feely and just offers teenagers the kinds of activities they say they want, we will fail another generation.”

Earlier this month, the charity 4Children published a survey of 16,000 youngsters across the UK which found 80% said they had nothing to do out of school.

And 70% said young people became involved in anti-social behaviour and petty crime because they were bored.